The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the possible radioprotective potential of an Aloe vera extract against whole-body X-ray irradiation-induced testicular alterations in mice. Male balb/c mice were divided into four groups: control, A. vera, X-ray and A. vera pre-treated + X-ray irradiated. Histopathological examination revealed significant structural alterations in testes after X-ray exposure, which was also associated with the presence of apoptotic cells as assessed by TUNEL assay. X-ray irradiation resulted in elevation in the levels of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, a reduction in glutathione concentration and enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Male infertility has been increasing over the last decades and being a pressing health problem nowadays. Cistanche tubulosa (CT) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to boost male sexual function. Echinacoside (ECH) is one of the major compounds exist in CT and might be a potential agent to protect testis and sperm injury. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the mechanisms behind the possible protective effects of CT and ECH against testicular and sperm toxicity...

BACKGROUND: The predominant phytoestrogen in soy and derived products is the isoflavone Genistein. Genistein has antioxidant properties. Morphine is a main psychoactive chemical in opium that can increase the generation of free radicals and therefore it could adversely affects the spermatogenesis. OBJECTIVE: The main goal was to investigate whether the Genistein could protect morphine adverse effects on sperm cells viability, count, motility, and testis histology and testosterone hormone and nitric oxide in blood serum...

BACKGROUND: Crocin, a carotenoid isolated from Crocus sativus L. (saffron), is a pharmacologically active component of saffron. Nicotine consumption can decrease fertility in males through induction of oxidative stress and DNA damage. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of crocin on reproductive parameter damages in male mice exposed to nicotine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, we divided 48 mice into 8 groups (n=6 per group): control (normal saline), nicotine (2...

The trace mineral boron is a micronutrient with diverse and vitally important roles in metabolism that render it necessary for plant, animal, and human health, and as recent research suggests, possibly for the evolution of life on Earth. As the current article shows, boron has been proven to be an important trace mineral because it (1) is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone; (2) greatly improves wound healing; (3) beneficially impacts the body's use of estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D; (4) boosts magnesium absorption; (5) reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α); (6) raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; (7) protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity; (8) improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders; (9) influences the formation and activity of key biomolecules, such as S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)); (10) has demonstrated preventive and therapeutic effects in a number of cancers, such as prostate, cervical, and lung cancers, and multiple and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; and (11) may help ameliorate the adverse effects of traditional chemotherapeutic agents...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Radix Astragali (RA), Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RAS) and Folium Epimedii (FE) are three of the extensively applied herbs among traditional Chinese medicines for gynecological disorders and osteoporosis. A derivative herbal formula-RRF, consisting of the three medicines with a weight ratio of 5:1:5, is derived from a famous Chinese herbal formula-Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT). RRF has shown noteworthy perimenopause ameliorating effect in both ovariectomized rats and natural aging female rats, which might represent a promising candidate for the treatment of perimenopausal disorders...

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is the most abundant steroid hormone in the circulation and has potent multifunctional activity. Epidemiological evidence suggests that levels of serum DHEA decrease with advancing age, and this has been associated with onset or progression of various age-related ailments, including cognitive decline and dementia, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Consequently, these findings have sparked intense research interest in DHEA supplementation as an "antiaging" therapy. Currently, DHEA is being used by 25% of in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinicians as an adjuvant in assisted reproductive programs, yet the therapeutic benefit of DHEA is unclear...

The aim of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate whether adding liraglutide to lifestyle changes, metformin (Met) and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), by means of improving weight and glycaemic control, could boost erectile function in type 2 diabetic obese men with overt hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction (ED) in a 'real-life setting'. Forty-three obese, diabetic and hypogonadal men (aged 45-59 years) were evaluated because of complaining about the recent onset of ED. They were subdivided into two groups according to whether hypogonadism occurred after puberty (G1; n = 30: 25 with dysfunctional hypogonadism and 5 with acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism) or before puberty (G2; n = 13: 10 with Klinefelter's syndrome and 3 with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism)...

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective role of resveratrol and curcumin on oxidative testicular damage induced by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups; three groups received oral daily doses of DEHP (2g/kgBW) for 45days to induce testicular injury. Two of these groups received either resveratrol (80mg/kgBW) or curcumin (200mg/kgBW) orally for 30days before and 45days after DEHP administration. A vehicle-treated control group was also included. Another two groups of rats received either resveratrol or curcumin alone...

BACKGROUND: Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a Chinese traditional herb which has been reported to have broad positive effects on many diseases, including hepatitis, heart disease, diabetes and skin disease. AM can promote cell proliferation, increase the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and inhibit apoptosis by regulating the transcription of proto-oncogenes controlling cell death. While AM is included in some commercially available "testosterone boosting supplements", studies directly testing ability of AM to modulate testosterone production are lacking...

The present experiment tested the causal impact of testosterone on human competitive decision-making. According to prevailing theories about testosterone's role in social behavior, testosterone should directly boost competitive decisions. But recent correlational evidence suggests that testosterone's behavioral effects may depend on specific aspects of the context and person relevant to social status (win-lose context and trait dominance). We tested the causal influence of testosterone on competitive decisions by combining hormone administration with measures of trait dominance and a newly developed social competition task in which the victory-defeat context was experimentally manipulated, in a sample of 54 female participants...

Maternal hormones are important mediators of prenatal maternal effects in animals. Although their effects on offspring phenotype are often sex-specific, the reason why sometimes sons are more sensitive to prenatal hormone exposure and sometimes daughters is not well understood. Here I combine an experimental manipulation of yolk testosterone concentration in the egg and quantification of selection acting on yolk androgen-sensitive traits in a natural population of great tits (Parus major) with a literature review to test the hypothesis that sex-specific selection on traits affected by yolk androgens determines which sex is more sensitive to prenatal hormone exposure...

PROBLEM: In our previous study on adult male mice, we had identified one immunodominant epitope in hEppin and three epitopes in hFSHR that caused fertility inhibition. But it only demonstrated a moderate inhibitory effect on fertility, and the antifertility effect was unsatisfactory. METHOD OF STUDY: Based on the protein prime-peptide boost inoculation modalities, we further investigated whether the antifertility capacity could be enhanced by a combined immunization with the two antigens...

The use of testosterone (T) among men aged 40 years or older was increased more than 3 times from 0.81% in 2001 to 2.91% in 2011. Until recently, the majority of the studies did not show any increased cardiovascular (CV) risk by using T in male patients with hypogonadism. What is more, some studies had observed a protective effect of using T against CV diseases. However, in 2010, a randomized clinical trial (RCT) was intended to study the advantage of T gel in older men with limitations in mobility; the study was stopped due to unexpected high prevalence of CV adverse outcome...

The wide abuse of the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate by athletes and adolescents for enhancement of sporting performance and physical appearance may be associated with testicular toxicity and infertility. On the other hand, taurine; a free β-amino acid with remarkable antioxidant activity, is used in taurine-enriched beverages to boost the muscular power of athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of the possible protective effects of taurine on nandrolone decanoate-induced testicular and sperm toxicity in rats...

Paradoxical to its importance for generating a diverse T cell repertoire, thymic function progressively declines throughout life. This process has been at least partially attributed to the effects of sex steroids, and their removal promotes enhanced thymopoiesis and recovery from immune injury. We show that one mechanism by which sex steroids influence thymopoiesis is through direct inhibition in cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) of Delta-like 4 (Dll4), a Notch ligand crucial for the commitment and differentiation of T cell progenitors in a dose-dependent manner...

BACKGROUND: Although endocrine disorders are not a common cause of infertility, in some cases, testing thyroid function, and hypothalamus - pituitary - gonadal axis can determine the cause of infertility. We aimed to investigate the effect of the aerial parts of Alhagi camelorum extract on prolactin, cortisol and pituitary - gonadal axis activities in rats with hypercholesterolemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 35 male wistar rats in 5 groups (n = 7) were assigned as: control group with normal diet, the sham group with fat diet and three experimental groups of hypercholesterolaemic animals which received Alhagi camelorum extract at a minimum dose of 100 mg/kg, average dose of 200 ml/kg and maximum dose of 300 mg/kg over a period of 21 days...